Communicating scientific researchTechnical reports, policy briefs and

making presentations

Anne Marie NyamuConsultant Science Editor/Writer

26 June 2012

Outline• Communication: Brief overview

• Writing technical reports

• Summarising reports

• Policy briefs

• Oral presentation

• Designing a PowerPoint presentation

• Things to remember

Communication: Brief overview

Why communicate?

• Good research/assessments/evaluations…

– alone are insufficient to have impact; findings must be communicated to the right people

– merit good communication

• Goal = impact

Communicating science

Scientific communication is:

• Accurate

• Targeted at a specific audience

• Clear

• Brief

• Logical

Four questions to consider

• Who do you want to reach?

• Why do you want to reach them?

• How do you reach them?

• What are your main messages?

Writing style tips• Targeted to specific audience

• Clarity: convey exact meaning

• Conciseness: fewest possible words

• Continuity: logical, complete story

• Objectivity: be factual/honest

Writing technical reports

Technical reports

• No absolute rules

• Flexibility to suit readers

• Short as possible without losing essence

• Objectives identify what is covered

• Most important person is the reader

Good technical reports

• Precise, informative title

• Well organised layout and format

• Style: accurate, fluent and concise

• Figures and tables well presented and clearly labelled

Format of technical report

• Title page

• Acknowledgements

• Summary

• Table of contents

• Introduction/terms of reference/scope

• Procedure

Format of technical report (2)

• Findings• Conclusions• Recommendations• References/bibliography• Appendices

Summarising reports

Summarising reports

“Sorry for this long letter, I had no time to write a short one.”

Blaise Pascal, 1623-1662

•Why summarise a report?•How do you summarise a report? (elevator pitch; used with investors)

Three sentences

Summarise your story in three sentences:• Problem• Solution• Results

Three sentences: Example• Problem

– Farmers in Zimbabwe find it difficult to sell goats, so they are not interested in raising them

• Solution– The project has introduced an auction system

that gives farmers a good price for their animals

• Results– As a result, farmers in 10 villages are now

investing in goat raising

Three sentences: Example• Problem

– Schools in District X lack basic facilities such as classrooms, desks and textbooks

• Solution– The project is encouraging parents and local

people to get involved in managing the schools

• Results– In five schools, parent associations are now

helping build classrooms and raising money to buy textbooks

Policy briefs

Policy briefs

What is a policy brief?

• Succinct presentation of a problem, its context and recommendations

• Goal: to prompt change

Policy briefs

Two types:

• Advocacy – argues for a particular course of action

• Objective – balanced information for policy maker to decide on course of action

Structure of a policy brief

• Title• Authors• Summary• Recommendations• Background

• Body• Evidence• Examples (boxes)• Tables and graphics• Conclusions• References• Supporting

information• Acknowledgements

Characteristics of a policy brief (1)• Focused on achieving purpose

– Language, design, argument, evidence…• Professional

– Not academic– Focus: what research findings mean, not how

research was done• Based on evidence

– Rational argument– Show consequences of recommended action

Characteristics of a policy brief (2)

• Limited– Focus on a particular problem or issue

• Succinct– Short and sweet– 2 pages (700 words) to 8 pages (3000 words max)

• Easy to understand– Clear, simple language– No jargon

Outline for policy brief

• What is the aim of the policy brief?• Which issue will best capture audience attention?• What background information does audience

need?• Which data are most important to include for

audience?• What are the policy options? (if appropriate to

aim)• What recommendations will you make?

Oral presentation

Oral presentation• Types: PowerPoint slides, posters,

giving interviews, answering questions, panel discussions

• Four steps:– Plan– Prepare – Practise – Present

Making a presentation

• Audience

• Plan and rehearse

• Stress important point

• Speak clearly

• Enthusiasm

• Avoid distracting actions

• Prepare for “the unplanned”

Delivering the message• Include major points of presentation

– Introduce the point

– Explain and support

– Transition quickly and smoothly to next point

• Give examples

• Provide all sides of the issue

• Don’t waste time

• Summarise

Designing a PowerPoint presentation

Preparing PowerPoint slides

• Simple

• Limit bullets, text and animations

• High quality graphics

• Avoid PowerPoint templates

• Appropriate charts

• Colour

Typeface• Solid block (sans serif)

• Larger font size for titles than text (36 points, 20 points, 28 points)

• Upper and lower-case letters

• Use colour, bold, or italics for emphasis

Layout• Generous margins• Text and image: 75% of space• Start at the top-left corner • Most important information at the top• Flush-left text• Consistent format

Avoid heavy content

• 6 words per line

• 6 lines per slide

• 36 words per slide

Example slides

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Gender equality in Kenya

According to the recent reports from the Kenyan Ministry of Labor, 72% of part-time workers in Kenya are women. This is the highest rate reported to date. The number of part-time workers has been increasing for many years. For many women, full-time employment is not available or their family obligations make it impossible for them to keep full-time hours. Below are some comments on the issue:“The Kenyan office environment is not yet conducive to promoting full gender equality”Senior LecturerNairobi University

Most part-time workers are women

Men

Women

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Objectives

• Identify and test production technologies for increased fish productivity

• Increase knowledge and skills base of small-scale fish farmers

Task

• Working in country groups, choose a topic

• Design a cover slide and two content slides

• Be ready to present to the group

15 minutes

Things to remember

Importance of communication

To have impact, your work must be communicated to the right people

Critical steps to remember

Before you communicate:• Clarify your message• Target your audience• Strategise your approach• Practise speaking• Disseminate widely

Anyone can learn effective communication. The more you do it, the better you get.

References

• For summarising reports and policy briefs www.mamud.com

• Klaus von Grebmer, Suresh Babu, Valerie Rhoe and Michael Rubinstein. Communicating food policy research: A guidebook. IFPRI (International Food Policy Research Institute)